


and yes, we're terrified, but watch what happens

by pouncival



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Era, Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-15 22:50:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10559024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pouncival/pseuds/pouncival
Summary: canon era javid.





	

**Author's Note:**

> someone asked for canon era javid and, well, some ppl said that canon era javid isnt accurate... so i threw in some historical accuracies because Ripleys Believe It Or Not, gay people existed! kudos/comment if u like etc etc

When Davey had gone back to school, he hated to admit that he didn’t enjoy it as much as everyone teased him that he would.

Well, not exactly that. When immersed in learning, given work to do and something to think about, Davey would breathe a sigh of relief and immediately throw himself into his work and study. Having homework to do meant that he could spend lunchtimes on his own, rather than with the other boys.

Yes, he had been on okay terms with them before he had left. Maybe they teased him, or their words were always laced with hidden insults, but had been okay. He could hold an awkward conversation, then rush off home after the day ended. But after the news about the newsboy rally had spread, and that David (‘Or should we say, Davey’ they laughed, like that name was funny, a joke, and Davey’s blood boiled) had been involved, there were tension. The boys who’s dads were trolley strikers acted like them winning quicker, not being beaten up as horribly, was some sort of crime against their fathers. The other boys sided with them. So Davey sat alone at lunch, and went straight home after school.

But Friday nights were special. He had promised the boys that he would keep in contact. Especially Jack. Davey didn’t tell Jack that he saw the way his face fell for a second when he told him he was going back to school, and pretended he’d only seen the smiles and heard the congratulations. So he’d promised that he’d keep selling. The extra money was going to help his family, and even if they didn’t need it, a day of walking around Manhattan selling with Jack was never something he’d say no to.

But Friday nights, the night before, Jack skipped the evening paper and met Davey after school. They would head to Medda’s, hanging around backstage, and they would watch the show or Jack would paint and Davey would watch or they’d sit and talk about anything and everything. They would stay up late, until Davey’s eyes were drooping and Jack was laughing, telling him they had papers to sell in the morning, and he’d walk them home. Davey’s favourite nights were the ones where his parents invited Jack to stay for the night, because it was much too late for Jack to be walking the streets by himself, and Jack would fall asleep beside him.

Davey smiled to himself. He hoped Jack would stay tonight.

After a few hours of Jack working on that new backdrop he was doing for Medda as they chatted, she appeared from the back door, her hands on her hips.

“Those poor boys,” she frowned. “Some of the regulars from the dive down the road got themselves caught. They’re going on trial next week,” she shook her head. “I knew them, they were good fellas. Probably never goin’ to get outta it.”

Davey wasn’t sure he knew what she was talking about. He glanced at Jack, who was frowning. “What, Excise Exchange?” Medda nodded, and Davey froze. That name was familiar. He wracked his brain for where he’d heard of it before, school, the other newsies, somewhere… “Shit, Medda. Were they caught at…?”

“No, no. The dive’s fine, for now, but with Pulitzer writing ‘bout it so often in the paper-” that was it, Davey thought- “I dunno how long it’ll be fine.”She gave him a stern look, as if warning him and Davey cocked his head. Was there something he was missing here? “They were caught on their own. Anyways, I have to go get ready for the show, so you two stay here and keep it down, alright? I already got a complaint about hearing talking from backstage, and I know my cast knows better.” She waggled her finger at them, and Davey gave her a guilty smile.

“Sorry, Miss Medda.” Medda rolled her eyes.

“You’re as quiet as a mouse, boy. Now that Jack, if only he’d take after you,” she joked as she walked towards the costume room, giving them a wave goodbye.

Jack put down his brushes and sat on the floor, making Davey glance over at him. Jack’s eyebrows were furrowed and he stared down at his hands, which were balling into fists then unballing. There was an awkward air between them, until Davey spoke up.

“You alright, Jack?”

“Yeah.”

Silence. Davey’s curiosity itched at him, and he fiddled with his fingers, glancing between the floor and Jack. Excise Exchange. Excise Exchange, Excise Exchange, Excise Exchange. Davey had heard that name before. A small part of him had a feeling he knew where, but couldn’t find the right words for it.

“Uh, Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“Medda mentioned Excise Exchange. Is that…” like He trailed off, searching for the right words- and for once in his life, Davey couldn’t find them. He knew there were words, of course, the mutters from his dad about the changes in laws, the insults boys used at school, the vague language that the newspaper used. Instead, he just looked at Jack, eyebrows raised, hoping he’d understand what he meant.

Jack nodded. “Yeah, it is. The very one Pulitzer writes about, same as the Slide a few years back before he got that one shut down.” He sounded bitter, or even angry. “We's in the Bowery, Davey. We's right beside all that stuff.”

Davey nodded quietly. Of course. A sheriff report he’d seen in a paper they’d been selling recently listed nine locations that were known for the same kind of activity as the Excise Exchange. Those activities being men with other men, women with other women, men and women and people whose gender Davey couldn’t place in extravagant clothing, topping even Medda’s elaborate costumes. Sodomites is what the law called them. Fairies is what the boys at school threw around. And worse words, too, ones Davey didn’t even think of- the names they’d called him.

“You don’t got a problem with it, right?”

Davey’s head snapped up. Jack was looking at him, and he couldn’t read his face- he’d never seen this emotion before. Or at least, he hadn’t seen this fear since the strike, and he’d never expected to see it again- especially not here, now. Davey shook his head.

“No. I don’t. I’ve… thought about these things before, and I’ve always thought that… If ones preferred... uh, gender, differs from the norm, I don’t see why they should be punished.” He stuttered over his words, and his cheeks were flushing a light pink, but he gave Jack a small smile, which was quickly returned.

“Right, yeah. I agree. Just ‘cause someone, y’know… Loves someone you don’t expect, don’t mean they love different.” Jack paused. “I been to one of those dives, Davey.”

Davey hesitated. He’d been wondering when he saw the concern on Jack’s face, the way Medda looked at him with a warning. Jack had been to those dives, and immediately the image of Jack dancing against other men, kissing other men invaded his brain. David bit his lip.

It was all things he’d imagined before with himself. When he sold to a handsome stranger on the street, or someone his age smiled at him as they passed on the street. He imagined what it would be like to hold another boy’s hand, rather than the girls he expected. He’d wished he could discover what another boy’s lips felt like on his own- in particular, Jack Kelly’s. Whenever he lay in bed beside each other in Davey’s bed, he wanted to reach out and pull Jack in close. He’d hated these thoughts. Davey had tried his best to get rid of them, but they persisted. He’d always imagined Jack’s reaction to knowing this as disgust, fear, loathing, but now…

“Davey? You alright? ‘S not a problem now, is it?”

Davey quickly shook his head. “No. It’s not a problem,” and before he knew it, he’d kept talking and said the one thing he hadn’t meant to. “Does that mean you’re…?”

Jack nodded. Davey understood, and gave him a small, nervous smile.

“That’s…”

“You said you didn’t have a problem with it, Davey-”

“I don’t.” Davey frowned. Jack was obviously worried about his reaction, and for good reason. This kind of information getting out on him wouldn’t be good- and the last thing that Jack needed was another reason for Snyder to be chasing him.

But Davey still had trouble formulating the words he wanted to say next. Less so out of not knowing how to string two words together, but the fact that they’d been stuck inside him for so long, and now that they rest at the tip of his tongue they didn’t want to leave. Even to Jack, who he would trust the entire world with, the words felt like almost too much.

Almost, because if Jack had told him, then Davey thought it was only fair to tell him too, even in his smallest, meekest voice. “Me too.”

Jack looked at him and blinked. “What?”

He cleared his throat. “Me… me too.” Jack stared at him, surprised, and then grinned.

“For real? There’s… there’s a few a’ us in the lodgin’ house, y’know. A few told me, an’ I can just… tell for a few of the others.” He trailed off, then turning his attention back to Davey. “How’d you figure it out?”

 _You made me realise_ , Davey thought. Of course, now that he looked back, the signs had been there throughout most of his teenagehood. But he’d never had to face it as much as he had to when he was selling with Jack on a daily basis, his casual touches, the way he looked at Davey and made him feel special.

“Just… lookin’ at boys,” he whispered, scared of someone overhearing. “I’ve never been to one of those dives or anything.” Jack raised an eyebrow.

“You never… kissed another guy or nothin’?”

Davey shook his head and stared at the floor. For the amount of times he’d thought about it, there’d never been the chance, not at least one where he knew that they wouldn’t arrest or murder him, and even if there ever was, one where he knew the other boy liked him back.

“Do you _wanna_?” Davey looked up at Jack, who had suddenly slid closer, looking at Davey earnestly, biting his lip.

“Of course I want to. That’s how I figured it out.”

“No, dumbass. Do you wanna kiss a boy now.”

Two and two were put together, and Davey’s eyes widened. Oh. Oh. Jack was asking if he wanted to kiss _him_. Emotions flooded through Davey- relief, anxiety, fear, and more than anything was just yes, yes of course I want to kiss you, and so he nodded and Jack leaned in.

Kissing Jack was unlike anything else he’d ever done. Davey had never seen the appeal in kissing when he tried to imagine it with girls. It was just lips on someone else’s lips. Whatever. But when his lips were on Jack’s, whose hand was cupping his cheek and arm moved to rest gently on his waist, it clicked. The best part was the kiss meaning something. And although Davey wasn’t quite sure yet what it meant to Jack, it meant the world to him. He tentatively wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck, pulling him in closer.

For a while, they just kissed and kissed and kissed. Davey gained some confidence, running his hands through Jack’s hair, and Jack had pulled him onto his lap, and Jack introduced Davey to kissing with tongue, and that was splendid too, he decided. They kept going until Davey pulled away, breathless.

“Kissing boys is good,” he said conclusively. Jack laughed, grinning.

“Don’t spose you wanna do it more, on other occasions?”

Davey laughed back, and nodded. “Only if you’ll also, y’know. Hold my hand and all that other stuff.”

Jack grinned, and nodded. “Yeah, all the lovey dovey stuff. An’ the kissing.”

Davey nodded. “And the kissing.”

It was going to be difficult, Davey knew. It would be terrifying- but like the strike, something you’ve never done before was always going to be scary. But nothing happens if you don’t begin, and Davey felt like him and Jack loving each other was revolutionary enough in its own. It’d require a lot of hiding, and communication, and probably a whole lot of tears. But when Jack’s hand took his, Davey knew it would be worth it.

For now, he leant in for another kiss. Now that he could kiss Jack, he wasn’t sure if he could ever stop.


End file.
